
i'r(f:sENTi;u iiv 



STATE AND LOCAL 
HISTORICAL SOCIETIES 



REUBEN GOLD THWAITES 




Reprinted from the April 1906 Number of 
THE IOWA JOURNAL OF HISTORY AND POLITICS 
Published at Iowa City Iowa by the 
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF IOWA 



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STATE Ay I) LOCAL HLSTORLCAL 

S0CLETIE8 



Tift 
„Vhor 

(PtrUMi) 

fP Ap'06 



STATE AND L(3CAL HISTORICAL SOCIETIES 

At a meetiug of the American Historical Association held 
in Chicago iu December, 1904, Professor Heury E. Bourne, 
of Western Reserve University, and chairman of the Asso- 
ciation's general committee, presented a report npon The 
Wovh of American Historical Societies.^ This was based 
upon an in(|uiry conducted by him into the scope and work 
of the principal societies, and was an interesting and suggest- 
ive preliminary survey of the Held. As a result of the Bourne 
report, the Council of the Association appointed Mr. Benj. 
F. Shambaugh, Mr. Franklin L. Riley, and the undersigned, 
as a sub-committee of the general committee, charged with 
reporting at the 1905 meetiug upon The Beat Methods of 
Organization and Worh on. the Part of State and Local 
Historical Societies. 

The task thus assigned was found to be far from a holiday 
undertaking. As Professor Bourne pointed out: "They 
[the societies] are as diverse in aim and organization as the 
localities where they work or the periods when they origin- 
ated. " To attempt to prescribe a set of rules for the com- 
mon conduct of institutions widely divergent in origin, per- 
sonelle, ]iurpose, and income was obviously impracticable. 
The committee, therefore, has been only able to extend and 
supplement the Bourne inquiry, to ])resent in detail the con- 



' This report appeared in The Iowa Journnl of History and Politics for April, 
1005, also in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1904, 
pp. 117-127. 



siderable mass of data obtained, and to offer a few practical 
suggestions based upon this data and the individual observa- 
tions and experiences of its members. 

STATISTICAL 

The committee were convinced that they could not act in- 
telligently Avithout first making as thorough au investigation 
as possible of the resources, activities, and aims of the histor- 
ical organizations of the country. A Ijlank was prepared 
for this purpose, ft)llowing the general lines of the Bourne 
iiupiiry, l>ut much more detailed. This, with an accom- 
})anying letter, was mailed early in February, 190."), to the 
secretaries of societies concerned — tlie mailing list being 
compiled from the BilJio(/rap]n/ of Hhtorlcal Societies pub- 
lished by the American Historical Association in 1895, the 
Carnegie Institution's Handbool: of Learned Societies., and 
other sources. 

By agreement between the members, ~Slv. Riley under- 
took to secure and compile reports from the societies in the 
Southern States; i\Ir. Shamljaugh from those of the trans- 
INIississippi States ( except Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas); 
and IVIr. Thwaites from those of the Xorthern States east of 
the Mississippi. The committee held a two days' session at 
Iowa City, Iowa, May 16-17, 190"), discussed the replies, 
and arrived at certain conclusions which ai-e presented below. 

The majority of the active organizations reported prompt- 
ly; others required prodding; even to the present date, a 
few have failed to respond to continued rec^uests. Reluc- 
tance to reply has generally been traceable to two widely 
divergent reasons: sei-ene self-content on the part of con- 
servative and comfortaljly endowed organizations displaying 



small interest iu a cooperative movement of this character; 
or to indifference bred of hopeless local conditions. In the 
responses of a few of the older societies was noticeable a 
tone implying that we had committed an impertinence in 
thus incpiisitively intruding into their placid lives. The net 
result was the receipt of a body of useful, although (juite 
unequal, data from nineteen national organizations (exclusive 
of the American Historical Association) having more or less 
to do with historical work, eight sectional, sixty -one State, 
and one hundred ten local. While there are regrettable 
omissions, it may confidently be asserted that practically 
every important historical society or department in the 
United States is included in the several lists which have been 
prepared. 

Of the national societies engaged in the collection and 
publication of historical material — for obvious reasons the 
American Historical Association is not included — easily the 
most important in library and resources, is the American 
Anti(piarian Society. Its substantial building at Worcester, 
Massachusetts, contains 1:2(),(MK) volumes and a valuable 
collection of manuscripts, ])ortraits, and antiques. The 
American Geographical Society, at New York, is housed in a 
$200, (M)u building and possesses a library of 40,000 vol- 
umes. < )ther flourishing bodies are the American Numis- 
matic and ^Vrchieological Society of New York, the Daugh- 
ters of the American Revolution (with a large Iniilding in 
Washington, now in process of construction), and the Jew- 
ish Publication Society of America. 

The list of sectional societies embraces manv that are 
doing important work. The wealthiest and most effective 



6 

of these is the Xen- England Histoiic Genealogical Society, 
of Boston, housed in a building worth §()■'), 000 and having 
a library of 66,000 titles. It possesses, also, notable col- 
lections of manuscri})ts, and a large museum of jiortraits, 
curios, and anti(|ues. The Ctnifederate iMemorial Literary 
Society, of liichmoud, owns a museum and grounds valued 
at $60,000, and an interesting library of printed and manu- 
script material relating to the history of the South prior to 
the AYar of Secession. The Pacific Coast Bi'anch of the 
American Historical Association, while as yet not engaged 
in collection or publication, has a promising future as the 
proposed medium of cooperation between the various his- 
torical organizations on the Western coast. 

As a class, the State societies and departments were the 
most punctilious in their replies. Not all of the responses 
were satisfactory in character: but while tliere ai'e serious 
gaps, enough information was elicited to enable the com- 
mittee to present a faii'ly complete survey of the situation. 

It was found that twelve societies or dejiai'tmeiits own 
their own halls — those valued at -^loo.odo or over being: 
Wisconsin, !?610,000; Iowa Dei)artment, §;400,000; Massa- 
chusetts, 8225,000; Pennsylvania, SiMdt.dOd; and Xew Jer- 
sey, §100,000. Thirteen are housed in their respective 
State Capitols, seven are quartered in State universities, and 
six in other public buildings. The largest State appropri- 
ations are given to Wisconsin, $32,000; jMinnesota, $15,- 
000; and Iowa, $15,000.' The Massachusetts, Pennsyl- 
vania, and Wisconsin societies are of course the wealthiest 

> This includes both the State Historical Society at Iowa City and the Histor- 
ical Department at Des Moines. 



in endowmeuts, possessing respectively !?-221,0(M), §169,- 
0U<», and §53,000 in invested funds. The largest libraries 
are: A¥isconsin, 275,000 titles; Pennsylvania, 245,000; 
Massachusetts, 155,0<tO; Kansas, 115,000; and New Hamp- 
shire, 100,000. 

The re]K)rts from local societies are une(pial, so that 
doubtless many fairly active small societies are not on our 
lists; we have reason to believe, however, that neai'ly all 
engaged in publication or having libraries or museums are 
represented. Some of the local societies are institutions of 
considerable importance. The Essex Institute, of Salem, 
Massachusetts, with its income of -$15,000, library of -400, - 
000 titles, and building valued at §28,000, easily takes 
rank with the State societies. So also do the New York 
(City) Historical Society, with 1,057 members, endowment 
funds aggregating §23<),000, yearly income of $12,800, and 
a building costing §400, (MiO; the CJhicago Historical Society, 
with a lil>rary of 100.00<J titles housed in a §185,000 build- 
ing, and supported by endowment funds aggregating §9<i,- 
000; the Long Island Historical Society, of Brooklyn, with 
70,000 titles in its own building; the Western Reserve, of 
Cleveland, with t30,00o titles in a §55,000 building; the 
Worcester (Mass.) Society of Anti(|uities, housing 55,000 
titles within a building valued at §25,000; and the Buffalo 
Historical Society, which dwells in a §200,000 building, has 
a library of 10,000 titles, and receives a munici23al grant of 
§5,000 per annum (the only instance of this sort that has 
come under our notice). 

Many of those owning much smaller libraries and museums, 
quartered in less costly houses, are also institutions wielding 



a wick' iiirtueiice in historical study. It is interesting to note 
the considerable nuinV)er rinding lodgment in public library 
jjuildings, a signiricant connection promising well for both 
organizations. In se\ei'al ot" the Eastern States, notably in 
Massachusetts, where nearly every town possesses an histor- 
ical society as well as a public library, the former frecpieutly 
owns or rents some liistoi'ic 1)uilding, generally a colonial 
farmhouse which, often with excellent taste, has been con- 
verted into a public museum. This is an example well 
woi'th following l)y other local societies. In the Soutli and 
the ^liddle West are many communities with historic sti'uc- 
tures that might be preserved for a like j>ui-jtose. 

OROAXIZATION 

Each historical society is in large measure the product of 
local conditions and opportunities. But back of these, 
moulding conditions and taking advantage of opportunities, 
are needed individuals imbued with genuine and self-sacrific- 
ing enthusiasm in the cause. However, enthusiasm will not 
alone suffice; for the promotei-s of such enterprises shoidd 
by their erudition and technical skill command the attention 
and respect of scholars, while by display of practical com- 
mon sense, business ability, energy, and convincing argu- 
ments, they are at the same time winning the confidence of 
hard-headed men of afi'airs. ^ ery likely this is an unusual 
com})ination of qualities, and an ideal seldom if ever real- 
ized, for historical societies can not })ay large salaries. Cer- 
tain it is, however, that even when liberally endowed, no 
society has attained its full measure oi usefulness without 
some such personality dominating its affairs. Institutions 
dependent upon State aid are ]ieculiarly in need of tliis vig- 



9 

orous personal management. Tlie lack of it has been the 
undoing of a goodly share of the wrecked or moribund 
societies — wherein everybody's business was nobody's con- 
cern — that strew the pathway of our recent investigation. 

The Massachusetts and Pennsylvania societies are proto- 
types of the privately-endowed organizations of the East- 
ern States, which without official [)atronage have attained 
strength and a high degree of usefulness; while AVisconsin, 
Minnesota, Iowa, and Kansas similarly stand for the State- 
supported institutions of the AA'est. 

Of recent years, there has appeared in several com- 
monwealths the "State Department of Archives and His- 
tory." This is an official l)ureau of the Commonwealth, 
obtaining the essential j^ersonal touch through maintenance 
of close relations with the State historical society, whose 
duties, under such conditions, are chiefly literary and advis- 
ory. Alabama and Mississippi are the typical examjdes; 
out in Iowa the State society, at the seat of the State Uni- 
versity, retains a strong individuality in all lines of activity, 
despite the existence of a liljei'ally-supported historical 
department at the capital; in Kansas the society has charge 
of the department. 

As to which method is l>est for new Commonwealths — 
that of the Alabama tyjie, that of AMsconsiu, that of the 
Iowa compromise, or that of the Kansas union — your com- 
mittee will not venture an ()]>inion. Each has certain merits, 
largely dependent on conditions of environment. 

When subsidized as the trustee of the State, the society 
kas the advantage of official cdunectiou and support com- 
bined with a strong, eti'ective personal interest among its 



10 

widely distributed membersliip ; but there is always a lurk- 
ing danger of an outbreak of political jealousy of a ([uasi- 
private organization being awarded even the officially-guard- 
ed expenditure of public funds, and legislative interference is 
always possible. While it lacks the inspiration of personal 
backing, the department stands closer to the machinery of 
government, and although, uncU'i- careful laws, removed 
from liability to partisan control, is not likely in the course 
of its work to arouse official jealousy. Its gi'eatest danger 
lies in the possibility that the performance of its work may 
in time become perfunctory, when the public-sj)irited found- 
ers of the department have retired from service.' 

After all, the princiijal desidei'atuin is, as we lia\e indi- 
cated, the personality back of the work, rather than the 
form of organization. It would be unwise, even if possible, 
to attempt the making over of men or of methods, that in 
theii' respective environments either promise or have already 
attained satisfactory results. AA'hat is needed, rather, is the 
betterment of existing methods, and especially the enlisting 
in the service of well-trained and vigorous executive officers. 

Inspired, doubtless, by the example of the "\\'isconsin 
S(X"iety, wliich is in close, although not official, connection 
with the University of Wisconsin, there has recently been 
a strong tendency on the pai't of Western and Southern his- 
torical agencies to associate themselves with their State uni^ 
versities. At the university town, of all communities in 
the State, exists a body of scholars Avho can most })roHtably 
utilize the collections of the historical society. The schol- 

' See K. G. Thwaites, State-supported Historical Societies ami their Functions, 
in Annual Report of American Historical Association for 1897, pp. 01-71. 



11 

ars need the inspiration of persistent, intelligent collection 
and publication; the society manager's need the academic 
atmosphere and academic counsel in and with which to 
broaden and solidify their work; while the histoiical library 
finds its raisuii J'eti'e in the largest possible clientele of users. 
Recognition of these facts has, Avherever possible, led to a 
closer union between society and university; but in several 
States, as in Missouri and Washington, where union with 
existing agencies seemed impracticable to the universities, 
the latter have secured the organization of rival State socie- 
ties at their own seats. Such an arrangement, while doubt- 
less benefiting the univei'sities, is aj)t to result in divided 
interest and appro] )riations. In several Western States, dif- 
ficulties of this character present problems that doubtless 
will be many years in the solution. 

SCOPK AND PURPOSE 

vSome historical organizations are founded for a single, 
well-defined purpose — such as the Society for the History of 
the (xei'mans in Maryland, the City History Club of New 
Yoi'k, and the Germantown Site and Helic Society — these of 
course find no difficulty in determining their functions. But 
some of the more general societies, especially in the newer 
States, ap[»ear to be confused in this respect, and (pieries are 
fre(pieutly raised as to their proper scope. 

In the judgment of the committee, an historical society, 
be it sectional, State, or local, should collect all manner of 
archieological, anthro])ological, historical, and genealogical 
material bearing u])on the particular territory which that so- 
ciety seeks to represent. The pr(jl)lem would be simplified, 
were the ideal recognized that, wherever practicable, there 



12 

should ill each State be some cue place where all manner of 
historical data relative to the Commonwealth at large should 
be jDlaced for ])reservatiou and consultation; and in each 
community or county a similar treasure house for its purely 
local records and relics. 

It would be superfluous in the present report — which is 
not intended as an elementary treatise — to set forth in de- 
tail the lines of work along which a local historical society 
may ])r<)ritaljly enn)loy itself. J^ut we venture to make 
these general suggestions: Such an institution may pro])erly 
make an accurate survey of the archieology and ethnology 
of its district; not only itself ac(piiring a collection illustrat- 
ing the same, Ijut entering into fraternal relations with 
neighboring collectors, private and public, and perhaps pub- 
lishing a cooperative check-list. The records of the county 
government (or of the town, the village, or the city), of the 
courts, the churches, and the schools should at least be listed 
if they cannot actually be procured. Diaries of original 
settlers, mercantile account-l)0oks, anniversary sermons, pri- 
vate letters descriljing early life and manners, field-books of 
surveyors, etc., are valuable manuscripts woi'thy of system- 
atic collection. Local newspa])er files are an imjxn'tant 
source of information, and should assiduously be collected 
and preserved. Pioneers should l)e '"interviewed" by per- 
sons themselves conversant witli the details of local history. 
All manner of miscellaneous local printed matter should be 
secured, such as society, church, and club year-books, pro- 
grammes of local entertainments, catalogues and memorabilia 
of educational or other public and private institutions within 



l.'i 

the prescribed lield of research — uothiug of this sort comes 
amiss to the historical student.' 

Collections are naturally classitied into libraries, museums, 
and ]:)ortrait galleries. Into the lil)rarj are properly depos- 
ited all manner of manuscripts, books, pamphlets, leaflets, 
broadsides, newspaper files, etc. They should be scientific- 
ally catalogued, so far as funds will allow, the manuscripts 
being if possible calendared, or in any event indexed; tlie 
least that can be expected is, that manuscripts be properly 
listed on standard catalogue cards. In the museum and gal- 
lery there should be dejiosited all portraits or relics bearing 
on the manners, eai'ly life, or persouelle of the community 
or region. Public museums are frecpiently presented with 
embarrassing gifts; but tact and diplomacy can usually be 
depended on for eventual elimination. Perhai)S in no de- 
partment of a society's work are common sense and the 
trained judgment of the professed historical worker more 
frequently needed than in the conduct of the museum. 
This is one of the most valuable featui-es of collection, ^\hen 
properly selected and administered; l)ut unfortunately too 
many of our American societies are the victims of undis- 
criminatiug anticpiarianism — collection for collection's sake, 
without method or definite notion as to the actual scholarly 
value of the relic. Nothing is more deadly, in historical 
work, than unmeaning museums of "popular attractions." 

In several of our States, the archives of the Common- 
wealth are, when ceasins; to be of immediate value in the ad- 



' Cousult the following Bulletins of Information issued by the Wisconsin His- 
torical Society: No. 12, '-Suggestions to Local Historians in Wisconsin"; No. 2.5. 
"The Gathering of Local History Material, by Public Libraries": No. H. "How 
Local History Material is Preserved." 



14 

iniiiistrutiveotHces — •"clciid dofiiiiunits,"" tlwy haw sdinewliat 
iii:ii)i)n)|)nately Ijeeii termed — committed t(» the care of the 
State historical society oi' departmeut of histoiy. Wliile 
eminently desirable, this dis|)Osition is, for various reasons, 
not immediately possi)>le of attainment in every State. The 
State society or department may, however, properly intei'est 
itself in seeing that tlie ai'chives are conveniently located and 
carefully ])reserved ])y public othcials; and where jiractica- 
ble, offer ex])ert advice as to tlieir ])roper administration. 

MKTIIOllS OK I'KKSKXI'A TIOX 

The gathering of matci'ial is of l)asic importance; l)ut 
much greater skill is re(|uii'ed adequately to disseminate that 
material. So fai' as ])i'actical>le, this should be published, 
in order to secure the widest {possible publicity and couse- 
(juent nsefulness. 

The publications of historical societies may contain both 
the original material, or "sources," and the finished pi'oduct, 
in the form of monographs, essays, or addresses. State so- 
cieties should certainly include in tlieir publications every- 
thing of value to students to l)e found in the archives of the 
Commonwealth: local organizations may with ei[ual piotit 
search their several county and municipal records for all 
data of historical imjiortance. Bildiographies and clieck- 
lists of jmblications relative to State and local history aiv 
also desirable. 

These publications should be well and attractively ])rinted, 
on good j>aper, and as skillfully edited as possible. So far 
as the canons of scholarship will allow, they should be capa- 
ble of ])o])ular understanding and appreciation. The mass 



of publieatiun.s l)y our American sc.icieties is lai'ge, altluuigli 
by no means as extensive as it ])r()j)erly might l>e. Unfor- 
tunately, neither the dictates of typographical taste nor of 
scholarship have always been followed, so that we have upon 
our liljrary shelves devoted to State and local annals much 
that is inaccurate as to matter, mechanically execraljle, and 
in general slipshod. It is high time that those histoi'ical so- 
cieties sinning in this res])ect bestir themselves, and inaugu- 
rate a more scientific treatment of their otherwise useful ma- 
terial. AVe have come to the stage that competent editors 
are needed (piite as much as indefatigable collectors. 

State or k)cal bibliography is an important and much 
needed wtirk, that may well l)e undertaken l)y historical 
societies, each in its own class. The example of The State 
Historical Society of Iowa in inaugurating a monographic 
industrial hist<:iiy <if that State, and a reprint of important 
State ]>a|>ers, is worthy of emulation. ^Many local societies 
are, in our opinion, spending far too largelv of their sub- 
stance in genealogical research and pulilications. AVith 
numerous jirofessed genealogical societies in the field, to 
say nothing of the often useful ])ati'iotic hereditary chap- 
ters — too few of which, however, are publishing things worth 
while — the general historical organization may with more 
appropriateness devote itself chiefly to the aljundant task of 
putting forth documentary material and monographs bear- 
ing upon its tield. xVny enterprising and skillfullv con- 
ducted society, once entering u])on publication, will find the 
possibilities in this direction practically endless. 

The methods of distribution of ])ul)lications should l)e 
carefully considered. It is important that material deemed 



16 

worthy of ])ermanent pi'esei'vatioii in jii'iuted form should be j 
phiced where it will })e of tlie greatest possible use to schol-l 
ars. In our opinion, the Library of Congress should, as the 
national liljrary, be an early recipient of all such publica- 
tions; next, the largest and most frequented reference libra- 
ries throughout the United States should be selected as 
natural repositoiies, whether the jniblishing society is or is 
not in regular exchange therewith; exchange arrangements 
sliould, as far as possible, be entered into with kindred soci- 
eties throughout the State and country; naturally, the mem- 
bers of the society and the ])ublic libraries of the State and 
neighborhood will be upon the permanent mailing list. A 
society that does not thus disseminate its publications where 
they can do the most good, is in so far neglecting its duty 
to American histt)rical scholarshiji. 

The museum is also an impoitant, although necessarily 
limited, means of pi'esentation of material. AMth tasteful 
and carefully ])lii"ased labels, changing exhibits of books and 
manuscripts, loan collections, lectui'es to teachers and pupils 
of the public schools, bibliographical references, etc., much 
may here be done to arouse and maintain ]iul)lic intei'est. 

INTKRESTING THK ITBLIC 

Indeed, this matter of arousing and maintaining pu])lic 
interest is, of itself, an important function of an historical 
society; Init obviously this should be an intelligent, discrim- 
inating interest. Field meetings, po])ular lectures, work 
with the schools, some measure of cooi'dination with the pio- 
neer and old settlers' societies of the district, pilgrimages to 
places of historic interest, the promotion of anniversary cele- 



]>ratious, and the placing of taljlets upon historic sites, all of 
these are within the province of the society. 

The enlistment of college and university interests is like- 
wise highly desiraljle, especially in the matter of research 
and preparing material for publications; although in becom- 
ing academic the society should be careful not to remove 
itself too far from the understanding and sympathy of the 
common people. Po])ularity and exact scholarship are not 
incompatible. One of the principal aims of an historical 
society should be the cultivation among the masses of that 
civic patriotism which is inevitably the outgrowth of an at- 
tractive presentation of local history. 

Logically, there is no reason why the work of collecting 
and disseminating historical material should not be ([uite as 
much a public charge as that of the public lil^rary or of the 
public museum. But the fact that historical work aj^pears 
to be best prosecuted by individual enthusiasm, seems to 
render essential the society organization; and in many com- 
munities it is, as already intimated, difficult to convince 
legislative assemblies that a semi-private body should re- 
ceive public aid. This objection is not insupei'able, pi'o- 
vided there are not, as in some States, likewise constitutional 
barriers. In the West, arrangements have been entered 
into whereby the society, in accepting public aid, becomes 
the trustee of the Commonwealth, as the custodian of State 
property; yet in no sense does the society surrender its 
scholastic individuality. In Buffalo, the local society bears 
much the same relationship to the municipality, in return for 
the latter's annual stipend. Even under the most favoral.ile 
political conditions, however, there is small chance f(_ir the 



18 

historical society obtaining ollicial aid unless its work is win- 
ning popular apjireciatiou. 

COOl'KKATIOX 

No historical society in the United States, State or local, 
is so powerful that it may not wax stronger by coojjei'ation 
with its fellows. Small organizations need the advice, 
assistance, and ins])iration that come from consorting witli 
largei' and more experienced bodies; the latter will attain 
fresh vigor by coming into close touch with institutions 
nearer to the peojde. 

In Iowa and Wisconsin, cooperation is assured by making 
the local societies auxiliaries of the State organization. The 
latter publishes the annual reports of its auxiliaries, and such 
of those papei's produced by members of the local l)odies as 
have the stamp of excellence and are of more than local sig- 
nificance. At meetings of the State ])ody, the auxiliaries 
are officially i'ej)resented, and freipient correspondence is 
encouraged between the parent society and its offspring; 
indeed, the local leadei's become active mein])ers, as well, 
of the former. 

]\Iassachusetts has inaugurated a Bay State Historical 
League, thus far composed of twenty-one local societies in 
^liddlesex and Essex counties. The organization was formed 
at Ji(»ston, April o, liM)."), its ol)jects being detined as fol- 
lows: — (1) "To encourage tlie fctrmation of histoi'ical socie- 
ties; (2) to encourage the existing historical societies in the 
prosecution of histoi'ical study and the dissemination of 
historical knowledge, in the institution and maintenance of 
historical memoi'ials and aniuversaries, the collection, preser- 



10 

vation, and piiljlioatiou of historical material, lud to briug 
such societies into a closer relation with one another; and 
(3) otherwise to promote historical interests." 

Annual meetings are held at historic points, with ad- 
dresses of prominent persons, pilgrimages to places of inter- 
est, and informal confei'ences regarding common interests. 
It is hoped that by thus combining their forces, the several 
societies in the league may stimulate popular interest in the 
history of their region, while leaving each society free to 
work out its own problems. 

The Pennsylvania Federation of Historical ."Societies, or- 
ganized at Harrisburg, January 5, lUOo, is of State-wide 
scope, but ajiparently confined to the local Ixxlies. Its 
announced purpose is: "(1) To organize historical activity 
in every part of the state and to foster it, and to foster that 
already organized. ("2) To act as a federation bibliogra- 
pher for its c(jmponeiit societies. {?>) At I'egular intervals, 
or periods, to bulletin the puldications of its component so- 
cieties, and to conduct an exchange of said bulletins." The 
State lil)rarian, the Hon. Thomas L. Montgomery, is taking 
an active ijiterest in the work, and thus far the expenses of 
the federation appear to have been made a matter of State 
charge. 

Upon the Pacific Coast are several active State historical 
societies, notaV)ly those of Oregon and Washington. The 
Southwest Society of the Archieological Institute of Amer- 
ica, with head(|uarters at Los Angeles, under the able lead- 
ership of Dr. Charles F. Lummis is rapidly coming to the 
front, and promises soon to become an important factor in 
historical research in this interesting region, embracing 
Texas, Ivew Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. 



'20 

The foiitVreiii-e of liistorical societies of the Paoitic C-oast, 
coiulucted at Portland in the tliii'd week of August last — 
and participated in by Messrs. Sliaiid)augli and Thwaites of 
the .Vuiei'ieau Historical Association couiiuittee on historical 
societies — was a spirited gathei'ing. But the disadvantage 
arising from the gi'eat distances between the several centres 
of fai' Westei-n historical activity was strongly expressed, 
and the need of some central agency of cooperation empha- 
sized, this being the key-note of the discussion. There was 
a general feeling of satisfaction when it was unanimously 
determined to utilize the Pacific Coast Branch of the Amer- 
ican Historical Association as such common medium. Herein 
lie large oppcu'tuuities for the Branch, and it is sincerely 
hoped that its managers may succeed in realizing the asj)i- 
rations awakened in the several State societies l)y this new 
relationship. 

The four several attempts at cooperation above enumer- 
ated, are typical anil suggestive: — (1) An attempt to ct)or- 
dinate the work of a limited disti'ict within a State immensely 
rich in historical material and i>pportnnities; (l') a federation 
of the local historical societies of an entii'e Commonwealth, 
iude])endent of the State society; (•">) a system whereby local 
societies are admitted as auxiliaries of the State organization; 
and, (4) a suggestion to effect cooperation throughout a wide 
belt of historically-related Commonwealths, by utilizing a 
sectional l)ranch of the Ameiican Historical Association. 

Still another form of co<")i»eration has, on motion of the 
Wisconsin society, recently l)een inaugurated in the region 
<if the upper and central Mississijipi ^'' alley. That institu- 
tion being about to publish a bulletin descriptive of its own 



21 

manuscript collections, ])roposed to other libraries, societies, 
and private collectors in its neighborhood, to append thereto 
similar descriptions of such of their manuscripts as bear 
upon American history. Favorable responses were received 
from the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio (Cin- 
cinnati), the Old Northwest Genealogical Society (Colum- 
bus), Mr. C. M. Burton of Detroit, the Chicago Historical 
Society, the Chicago Public Library, the Newberry Library 
of Chicago, Mr. Edward E. Ayer of Chicago, the jMinne- 
sota Historical Society (St. Paul), the State Historical So- 
ciety of Iowa (Iowa City), the Missouri Historical Society 
(St. Louis), the Mercantile Library of St. Louis, the State 
Historical Society of Missouri (Columljia), and the Kansas 
Historical Society (Topeka). The publication of these 
lists of manuscripts under one cover and commonly indexed, 
will of course prove helpful to students of American history 
by enabling them to ascertain the strength of nearly all the 
several collections in the upper Mississippi basin, at the 
minimum expenditure of time and effort. 

It is hoped by the Wisconsin society that this V)ulletin 
may prove suggestive to other sections, as an example of 
one form of possible cooperation.' Similar cooperative bib- 
liographies might well be compiled of portraits, broadsides, 
and other illustrative mattei', and check-lists be prepared of 
rare historical works, documentary collections, etc. The 



' So long ago as 1S97, the Wisconsin society published: I. S. Bradley, "Avail- 
able Material for the Study of Institutional History of the Old Northwest," Wis- 
consin Historical Society Proceedings, 1890, pp. 11.5-143. This consisted of a 
list of the statutes, session laws, legislative documents and journals, journals of 
constitutional conventions, and newspaper files of the Old Northwest Territory 
and of the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, published 
prior to 18.51, to be found in public libraries within those States. 



example set by the libraries of Boston, Washington, and 
Chicago, in publishing cooperative lists of their periodicals, 
may well serve as a hint for the historical societies. 

The Library of Congress, acting in conjunction with the 
Carnegie Institution's Department of Historical Research, has 
now fairly entered upon its great task of securing transcripts 
of all documents in European archives illustrative of Amer- 
ican history. As soon as this material is available, it would 
be quite feasible for local societies in any State, or State 
societies in any section, to join forces in the editing and pub- 
lication of so much thereof as was considered common to the 
history of the territory embraced in such federation. A un- 
ion for the purchase or transcription of such other materials 
as did not come within the scope of the Washington under- 
taking might also be established. Even in limited sections, 
such as that served by the Bay State Historical League, a 
cooperative bureau would doubtless be found helpful, espe- 
cially in interesting the public. 

In the publication of documentary material, no doubt 
there has occasionally, in neighl)oi-ing States, been more or 
less duplication. There have been instances of du]>lication 
between State and local societies within the same Common- 
wealth, arising from lack of agreement as to their respective 
fields. Cooperation would tend to minimize this difficulty; 
yet in the case of State-supported societies there are apt to 
be certain official barriers to jx^rfect cooperation — and it is 
open to tjuestion whether duplication has not some advan- 
tages, for the ])u})licatious of one State are not as a rule 
freely obtainal)le by students in another. It is, however, 
important that there should lie some common understanding 



23 

iu these matters, iu order that what is doue shall be doue 
intelligently aud jnirposely. 

Indeed, it is in just such inter-sooiety conference as this, 
that the most useful cooperation may be effected. AVithin 
States, no doubt organized federations like those of Penn- 
sylvania aud Massachusetts will best subserve the interests 
of all concerned, and secure both continuity of united effort 
and proper differentiation; Init between State societies, it is 
possible that in most cases a hard-and-fast organization 
might prove less useful than temjioi'ary conventions to meet 
immediate aud varying needs. 

Another form of coopei-ative agreement is essential be- 
tween historical societies and public libraries working within 
the same Held. As already noted, many local societies are 
quartered in the buildings of such libraries, the former 
being granted either a separate library and museum room, 
or special alcoves in the book-stack. Differentiation is thus 
easily arranged, and each institution can be and often is of 
great benefit to the other. But there are numerous instances 
where society and pulilic li])rary are engaged iu needless 
and costly duplication. In such cases, some sort of affilia- 
tion should certainly be entered into. 

The relations Vjetween State historical societies and State 
libraries are likewise often quite lacking iu definition. Dif- 
ferentiation is simple in those "Western States, like Wiscon- 
sin, where the State society, acting as the trustee of the 
Commonwealth, conducts what is in effect the miscellaneous 
State library, the nominal State library being simply the 
law library of the Supreme Court. But this condition 
obtains in but few Commonwealths; in others, agreements 



24 

have yet to be perfected, by which these two agencies of 
collection shall supplement each other rather than duplicate. 
A system of annual reports from local to State societies, 
would be desirable, as in the case of the auxiliaries in Iowa 
and Wisconsin. On the other hand, similar reports from 
State organizations to the American Historical Association, 
although not provided for in the latter's charter, would 
surely tend to arouse more general interest in an undertak- 
ing in which all are deeply concerned. At present, the 
work of the societies is too largely individual and to that 
extent narrow; it sorely needs unifying, sectionally and na 
tionally. Federated relationship, organized or unorganized 
would, in our opinion, strengthen the hands of all, from the 
national body to that of the smallest historical society in 
the land. 

Until the "round table" conference at Chicago, in 1904, 
several of the most important of the State societies were 
quite unrepresented at the sessions of the American Histor- 
ical Association. Very likely this has been the fault of the 
Association quite as much as theirs; for in the former's pro- 
grammes scant attention has hitherto been paid to the 
serious problems confronting State and local societies — sup- 
port, oi'ganization, scope, methods, and co-operation. The 
Council of the American Historical Association has, how- 
ever wisely created a section devoted to these matters, and 
its successive annual conferences will doubtless bear rich 
fruitage. 

Reuben Gold Thwaites 
Wisconsin Histoiiual Socikty 
Madison 



IF. Mr 10 



